The information we collect from you is used:
To provide you with quality health care and follow up care in
the community;
To carry out quality assurance to make us better;
For patient satisfaction surveys to see how we are doing; and
To comply with legal and regulatory requirements.
For research to make the Listowel Wingham Hospitals Alliance
staff the best
we can be and to help develop new treatments and technologies
for the future
For education to keep current health care practitioners up to
date and to train
new health care practitioners for the future.

If your information is to be used for any other purpose, your specific
permission would
be required first.

What Information does the hospital collect?

To provide you with quality health care, we collect both personal and
health information from you. Your legal name, date of birth, address,
health card number and extended health insurance numbers are examples of
personal information. Your health history, the records of your visits
to the hospital and what health care we provide to you during those
visits are examples of your health information.

How does the hospital protect my information?

A few ways that LWHA strives to protect both your personal information
and your personal health information are by:

Teaching all staff about confidentiality. All staff,
physicians, volunteers, etc must
sign a confidentiality agreement as a condition of their
relationship with the
hospital.

Requiring that all staff wear photo identification at all
times while on hospital
property to protect against unauthorized individuals accessing
information.

Health care providers at other hospitals, nursing homes or
other health care
agencies who become part of your health care team. Information
is shared for
the purpose of your continuing care in the community.

Other agencies as required by law, for example, Public Health
Surveillance.

Where is my health information stored and how
long?

Hospitals are required to keep health records for at least 10 years
past the date of the last admission. In some cases, for example health
records for children and records maintained for the purpose of research,
health records are kept much longer. Most health records are maintained
in Health Records Department but some services, including Diagnostic
Imaging and Laboratory, maintain their own specific records.

How do I access or request a copy of my health
information?

Ask your health care provider for information about your diagnosis and
treatment while you are a patient at the hospital. To obtain a copy of,
or view your health record, please contact the Health Records Department.

You have the right to access your personal health record and LWHA has
an obligation to make it available to you with limited exceptions. If
releasing your information would put yourself or a third-party at risk,
the hospital may choose not to disclose some or all of that information.

Can my family see my health information?

Although you have the right to access your health record, this right
does not automatically extend to family members and/or friends. If you
consent to let a friend or family member see your record, then the
friend/family members may access part(s) that you have consented to let
them see.

What if I am unable to give consent to release my
health information?

If you are unable to give consent for a friend or family member to
access your health information due to reasons such as incapable or
unconsciousness, the consent decision falls to the appointed substitute
decision maker, such as a spouse, parent or guardian.

Will my family and friends be able to call to get
information about me over the phone?

When you are admitted to hospital, we ask that you name one person as a
main contact. That person will be contacted by the hospital staff as
necessary to report on your condition, treatment, etc. It is the contact
person’s responsibility to share this information with family and
friends at your request. For all other requests, only a minimum amount
of information will be given over the phone.

Can all hospital staff access my health
information?

Only staff involved in your care may access your health information.
All hospital staff are bound by a strict confidentiality policy, which
is a condition of employment. This policy seeks to ensure that staff
only access information on a need-to-know basis. Health professionals
are also bound by confidentiality requirements from their professional
colleges.

Can my family physician access my health
information:

The hospital releases information to family physicians to facilitate
your continuing care with your consent.

What if I have concerns about who has accessed my
health information or other Privacy concerns?

Please contact the Privacy Office (see below) if you have concerns
about unauthorized access to your health information, or about any other
concerns you have about Privacy issues. We will ensure that your
concerns are investigated promptly and a response is provided to you in a
timely manner.